Monthly Archives: February 2020

“The Sower” is a French parable (“Le semeur”) with hints of “The Beguiled” about it, with more romantic and less morbid intentions. A couple of compelling leads and an intriguing source of dramatic conflict help it come off. Soldiers on … Continue reading →

If you’ve ever pondered what the label “Southern Gothic” means in cinematic terms, “Blood on Her Name” is the very epitome of the genre. From its evocative title to the working poor milieu of family loyalty, trailer parks, garages, roadhouses, … Continue reading →

A little Munchausen by Proxy horror for Mother’s Day?

A24 has quickly developed a “house style.” Disparate filmmakers, differing subject matter, but man — look at a trailer and in a heartbeat you can tell this studio was behind it. Dev Patel is the ruler who must face his … Continue reading →

In conspiracy buff terms, the 1960s were the “Rush to Judgment”decade. Major figures in American political life were assassinated, and the FBI, the courts, the Warren Commission and local criminal justice systems seemed awfully anxious to wrap their cases up, … Continue reading →

  “Over the Rainbow” is a mesmerizing, diffuse and scattered movie about odd beliefs, deeply-held convictions and Scientology. It’s kind of a mess as it starts out more about the first two — specifically how people who believe they’ve been … Continue reading →

With the investment in time involved, how long do you give a series — broadcast or streaming, limited or open-ended — before deciding it’s not worth your time? Pilot episode? One or two beyond it? On and on because “maybe … Continue reading →

A little small town pluck is on display in this feel good “true story” from the UK.

Here’s a documentary about the “brave new world” of brain research that points a day when we we “fundamentally change what it means to be human.” In “I Am Human,” filmmakers Elena Gaby and Taryn Southern talk to futurists, neuroscientists, … Continue reading →

Think of “Farmageddon” as a child’s introduction to science fiction cinema. It’s a non-verbal giggle — a bit slow to be a romp — through decades of sci-fi on the big screen (and on the small) packaged in a preschool … Continue reading →